New 4-year terms raise election stakes at a key turning point for city

Aug. 19, 2013

Cincinnati City Council chambers / Enquirer file photo/Gary Landers

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This fall’s Cincinnati City Council election is arguably twice as important as previous ones.

At least, voters will have to live with their choices twice as long, thanks to a 2012 charter amendment that extends council terms from two years to four.

“Certainly it changes the stakes,” said Alex Triantafilou, Hamilton County Republican Party chairman. “Whatever happens here we’re stuck with for four years.”

The nine council members will also take office at an important time for Cincinnati. Financial challenges continue to cast a shadow even as momentum builds for carrying the revitalization of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine into the other 50 city neighborhoods.

The new City Council will have to cope with a city budget that has been balanced only through stop-gap measures for the past decade; deal with an $862 million hole in the employee pension fund; and oversee construction of the controversial streetcar.

Eight incumbents are seeking re-election – six Democrats, one Republican and one independent. The field will be set after Thursday’s deadline for candidate petitions, but campaign finance reports indicate at least 10 more candidates will run.

Early betting is that the new council will look a lot like the old council.

The challengers – including a former mayor, two former council members, a Cincinnati school board member and a protege of former Gov. Ted Strickland – may find themselves competing for the only open seat, said longtime political observer Gene Beaupre of Xavier University.

“I think the incumbents are relatively safe,” he said. “When I go places a lot of people talk about, ‘Hey, there are good things happening in the city.’ And that’s a big deal.”

It’s an at-large race, so all candidates run against each other, but Roxanne Qualls, who’s running for mayor, is the only council member not seeking re-election.

Democrat Pam Thomas is the incumbent most likely to be vulnerable, Beaupre said. A longtime Cincinnati Public Schools administrator, she was appointed to husband Cecil’s seat in April because term limits prevented him from running again.

“She’s got good name ID in specific areas, but I can’t imagine it’s as high as his,” Beaupre said.

A number of council appointees in recent years, including Democrat Greg Harris and Republicans Amy Murray and Wayne Lippert, have failed to be elected in the subsequent election. In addition, Thomas had raised only $13,000 as of July 31 – 17th among the 18 finance reports filed.

Still, Tim Burke, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, likes her chances, saying she made a strong showing in her losing race for county clerk of courts last year.

Democrats have endorsed 10 candidates in the council race – obviously more than can be elected – and Republicans have endorsed four – short of a majority even if they all won. The Charter Committee has tried to step up its influence by endorsing six candidates, including a Republican.

First-term Democrat P.G. Sittenfeld is again on track to raise the most money, collecting $274,000, followed by lone Republican incumbent Charlie Winburn with $186,000.

The third-biggest war chest belongs to a newcomer – at least, a newcomer to city politics. Democrat Greg Landsman, who worked for Strickland both in Columbus and in Congress, has raised $158,000.

“The person with the most money, if I had to bet, is the one I’d put my money on, and that’s Greg,” Beaupre said. “Name recognition matters, and the best way to get it is television.”

“Our two strongest non-incumbents at the moment are Mann and Landsman,” he said.

Attorney David Mann, a former mayor, councilman and U.S. representative, almost didn’t get the party endorsement earlier this year but eventually leaders decided to simply endorse 10 candidates for nine seats. He has been out of politics for a long time, but Beaupre noted that Qualls was able to make a successful return after leaving the arena.

Two Republicans are also trying to return to council. Small business owner Amy Murray, who came in 12th in 2011 after being appointed to fill Chris Monzel’s seat earlier in the year, has raised almost $100,000. Murray has also gotten the Charter Committee’s endorsement – rare for a Republican.

“If the Republican Party is interested in trying to have and maintain a presence in city government she’s their best shot,” Beaupre said.

Voters bounced Sam Malone in 2005 after being charged with domestic violence for beating his son with a belt. He finished 12th in his last try for council, in 2007.

Triantafilou is philosophical about the Republican Party’s influence inside the strongly Democratic city limits.

“I think we have a chance, but we’re realistic about the demographics of the city,” he said. “As a county party, we have a full slate of candidates everywhere else.”

The Charter Committee has endorsed six candidates this time, but only two are carrying the Charter flag exclusively: Kevin Flynn, a lawyer who placed 11th last time, and Vanessa White, a CPS board member.

Also worth noting is Mike Moroski, the former Purcell Marian High School administrator who’s running a spirited independent race for council. Fired for personal blog posts supporting gay marriage, he has raised $27,000 in addition to campaigning extensively on social networks such as Twitter.

“In a race like this social media is probably pretty effective,” Beaupre said. “You’re working people who are likely voters.”

In addition to the 18 who have filed campaign finance reports, as many as 10 more people have taken out petitions and could file to run for council. Despite the higher stakes of four-year terms, however, the race appears unlikely to top the record field of 31 candidates in 2005.

LIKELY CANDIDATES

Here are likely City Council candidates who have filed campaign finance reports, in order of their totals as of July 31. Candidates have to file if they raised or spent at least $10,000. Party endorsements are in parentheses:

• P.G. Sittenfeld (Democrat), $274,000 – incumbent

• Charlie Winburn (Republican), $186,000 – incumbent

• Greg Landsman (Democrat, Charter), $158,000

• Chris Seelbach (Democrat), $102,000 – incumbent

• Amy Murray (Republican, Charter), $99,000

• Laure Quinlivan (Democrat), $75,000 – incumbent

• Kevin Flynn (Charter), $60,000*

• David Mann (Democrat, Charter), $59,000

• Christopher Smitherman, $44,000 – incumbent

• Wendell Young (Democrat), $28,000 – incumbent

• Michelle Dillingham (Democrat), $28,000

• Mike Moroski, $27,000

• Yvette Simpson (Democrat, Charter), $27,000 – incumbent

• Sam Malone (Republican), $19,000

• Vanessa White (Charter), $14,000

• Melissa Wegman (Republican), $14,000

• Pamula Thomas (Democrat), $13,000 – incumbent (appointed)

• Shawn Butler (Democrat), $12,000

These candidates haven’t filed campaign finance reports but have announced their candidacy: